Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-05
THE MAJORS STORY.

altered, been played Off on the New York Mirror
by person named N. B. Curtis as original
and signed by him as such. The fraud was
promptly exposed by the Sun and conceded by
the Mirror ]
The Major told it to me in the smoking
room of the Pullman car, on my last trip
from Frisco.
It was bitter cold Christmas Eve"
said the Major, a good many years ago,
that he came toward me in the lobby of
the Academy of Music between the acts
a figure more remarkable than anything in
the opera. His clothes, no two articles of
which were the same color, had the appear
ance of having been purchased and put on
only en- hour or two before-a fact more
clearly established by the clothes dealers
ticket which still adhered to his coat collar,
giving the number, size and general d.
mansions OF that garment somewhat OBJ
trusively to an uninterested public. His
trousers had a straight line down each leg
as if he had been born fiat, but had since
developed, and there was another crease
down lis back like those figures children
cut out of folded paper ! would say that
there was no consciousness of this in his
face, which was good-natured and but for
a certain squareness in the angle of the
jaw, utterly uninteresting and common
place.
You disremember me- he said, briefly,
as he extended his hand, but I'm from
San Jose, in Californy. l met you there in
the spring OF 81. l was tendin' sheep and
you was burnin' charcoal
There was not the slightest trace of any
intentional rudeness in the reminder. It
was simply a statement Of facts, and as
such must be accepted.
What | hailed you for was only this, I"
he said after l had shaken hands with
him. saw you a mint ago standin
over in yon box-chirpin' with lady-a
young lady, pert and pretty. Might you be
tellin' me her nameY
I gave him the name of certain noted
belle of neighboring city, vino was
especially admired by the brilliant and
fascinating young Wallford who stood be-
side me.
The man from San Jose unused for mo-
ment and then said That's so that's
the name It's the same gal %
q You have met her, then?' asked, in
surprise
"Ye-es" he responded slowly; Il met
her about Tower months ago. Shed been
maxim a tower of Californy, and first saw
her aboard the cars this side of Reno. She
lost her baggage checks; found them on
the floor, gave them back to her, and she
thanked me. | reckon now it would be
about the square thing to go over there and
sorter recognize her" He stopped mo-
ment and looked at us inquiringy
My dear sir" struck in Wallford, IF
your hesitation proceeds from any doubt of
the propriety of your attire, l beg you to
dismiss it from your mind at once. The
tyranny of custom, it is true, compels your
frier and myself TO dress peculiarly, but
can assure you that nothing could be finer
than the way the olive green of your coat
melts in the delicate yellow of your cravat,
or the pearl gray tint of your trousers
blends with the bright hue of your vest
and lends additional brilliancy to that mas
sive oroide watch-chain which you wear
To my surprise the man from San Jose
did not hit him. He looked at the ironieal
Wallford with grave earnestness, and then
said, quietly;
Then / reckon you wouldn't mind
shown me in thar2n
Wallford was little staggered. but bow.
ing ironically, led the way to the box.
follow d the man from San Jose.
Now, the belle in question was a gentle
woman-descended from gentlewomen-
and after Wallford's ironical introduction,
in which the stranger was not spared, she
conlprehended the situation instantly.
To Walifords surprise she drew chair
to Der side, made the man from San Jose
sit down, quietly turned her back on Wall
ford, and, in full view of the brilliant audi
ence and the focus of a hundred lorg-
nettes, entered into a conversation with
him.
He persisted in keeping the conversation
II. ol,ao nd ar-xy
bright attempt of the lady to divert him
sienally failed. At last to everybody's re-
lief, he rose. and leaning over her chair,
said
a l calklate TO stop over here some time,
miss. and you and me bein' sorter stran-
gers here, maybe when there's any show
ike this goin' on you'll let me"
Miss Morrell somewhat hastily replied
that the multiplicity of her engagements
and her brief stay would probably prevent
il. and begged TO be excused The two
other ladies held their handkerchief TO
their mouths. and were staring intently at
the stage, when the man from San Jose
continued:
Then maybe, miss, whenever there's q
show goin on that you'll attend, you'll
inst drop me word to the Fifth Avenue
Hotel to this yer address, and he pulled
from his pocket q dozen well-worn letters,
and taking the buff envelope from one,
handed ii to her with something like bow.
Certainly broke in the facetous Wall
ford. Miss Morrell goes to the charity
ball tomorrow night. The tickets are but
a trife to an opulent Californian and man
of your evident means. and the object is q
worthy one. You can, no doubt, easily
secure an invitation.
Miss Moirell raised her handsome eyes a
moment BY all means she said, turn
ing to the man from San Jose, "and as Mr.,
Wallford is one Of the managers, and you
a stranger, he WILL Of course, send you a
complimentary ticket. / have known Mr.
Wallford long enough to know that he is
invariabiy courteous to strangers, and q
gentleman She settled herself IN her
Chair and fixed her eyes on the stage.
The man from San Jose thanked the man
from New York, and then, after having
shaken hands with everybody in the box
turned to 90. When he reached the door
he looked back to Miss Morrell and said:
It was one of the eueerest things in the
world. miss, that findin' them checks
But the curtain had Just risen and Miss
Morrell was absorbed. The man from San
Jose carefully shut the door and retired.
followed him.
He was silent until he reached the lobby
and then he said, as renewing the CONVEX
sation She's a mighty pert gal-thst
so. She's Just my stripe, and viii make &
.stavin' good wife
I though 1 saw danger ahead, so | hast
ened TO tell him that she could have hel
nick and chaice from the best society. anc
was most probably engaged to Wallford.
"Thafs so. - he said quietly. without tht
slightest trace of feeling; il would bs
mighty queer Il she wasn't. But reckon
IN steer down to the hotel. don't care
much for this yeilin'.n he was slludins
60 a cadenza By one of the most famous
prima donnas of the day.l What's the
time 7n
He pulled out his watch. 1t was such a
ziaring sham, so obviously bogus, that my
ewes we're fascinated by 1t. " You're lookini
at that watch" be said It's purity to
look at but she don't go WoSth cent, and
h..r i.